Man-thing and I usually eat soup or stew every evening, because the prep is minimal if we dedicate some time over the weekend to boiling vegetables in a flavourful manner. Our freezer is always packed to the brim with soup and our fridge with soup stuff. Yesterday I forgot to take the soup out by 10h00 and predicted a considerable lack of thaw in our freezing house, so I decided to spruce up our usually fare and turn on the oven. How glad am I! 😀

The one thing I miss as a vegan is the big roasts we used to have every time we visited my family, especially my one aunt. Not the meat part, but just the idea of comforting warm food made all crispy and delightful. Delicious potatoes, wonderfully sweet pumpkin, delightful mash and green beans…nommmm! I could probably do that sort of thing myself and make a lovely tofu roast bake, but honestly, if the numbers for dinner are usually a sturdy two, then there doesn’t always seem to be a point. Man-thing’s somewhat snivelly and red-nosed at the moment,however, on the brink of flu, so I thought he would appreciate something different, toasty, and comforting.

I don’t think we’ve ever eaten parsnips before, but OH my goodness! Roasty, crispy parsnips beat potatoes any day! They have such a naturally sweet taste and stuffed with spicy hummus…so good! Making my own hummus far outstrips the stuff you buy because a) no oil and b) I can do just what I please! 😀

Sunday roast:

Radish and paprika hummus:

2 radishes, sliced thin + roasted for 20 minutes

1 paprika, raw + roasted for 20 minutes

1 can cannelini beans, or 2 cups beans of choice/home-made

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ginger spice

splashes of nutmeg, paprika, white pepper, salt & rosemary

1 TBSP lemon juice

Roast your paprika and radishes for 20 minutes on 180C and set aside to cool.

Add them and the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and blend til smooth. I was still left with chunks of paprika which I like, but if that bothers you first cut the pieces smaller.

Once cool add all ingredients to your food processor and blend til smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add more milk to reach a mash-y consistency if need be and add more spices to taste (I don’t usually use salt but feel free!)

I cut the parsnips down the middle so they were still attached by sinews, steamed them for 3 minutes, and then placed them flat down on a lined baking tray to bake for 15 minutes, flipped them and baked for 10, then grilled for 5. Keep in mind my oven is broken so times may vary! I don’t like cooking with excess oil (or any, if I can help it), but feel free to mix 2 tsp EVOO with spices of choice and brushing it onto both sides of the cut parsnips.

Easy peasy! I served it with some gravy and raisins and pumpkin seeds for nom factor, alongside a salad. When plating I splashed more paprika everywhere as well, because that stuff is just the bee’s knees. Man-thing got his parsnips with clean cut green beans, brown rice, hummus and gravy – although he’ll tolerate cauliflower in his pizza or hidden where he can’t spot it (cake, I’m looking at you! :D), he won’t easily consent to it being so brazenly plonked on his plate, so I figured more mash for me and rice for him. Traditional enough! He says his parents would even appreciate the meal (probably because it’s so “normal!”, although they are more adventurous than he gives them credit for). Certainly with me in the shadows there isn’t much choice but to indulge in occasional crazy nonsense :p

All in all this was great! The hummus was super spicy (nom!) which was balanced out nicely with the smooth gravy and lovely mash. I just adore parsnips, and now have big plans to integrate them into our munchies in more ways. I suspect they’ll go great in sweet treats, which is all the more reason to stock up on these lovelies. It’s sometimes just refreshing psychologically to revisit one’s food past and just brush the edges of those memories with new creations and interpretations. I’d still squeal in delight for a veganized version of those wonderful family roasts, but I think mine works out just fine in comparison for now!

What sort of food did you eat on Sundays? Did you ever have big family meals on those days?

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Ahoy, I’m Margaux! History teacher and freelance editor; wench to my Man-thing; volunteer at a cat shelter; and handmaiden to our kitsy cats, Gatsby, Freyja and Atlas. This blog is dedicated to vegan food, occasionally overthrown by pictures of foster kittens and other fluffy creatures. I love sharing ideas and recipes, so don't be shy: stop by and say hi!